Okay, all you guys in Arizona with atvs --- LISTEN UP!!!!!!!
A good friend of mine was up in Unit 7 this last week-end and finally had rumors come true. The Forest Service had meetings earlier this summer and one of the big issues was how they were going to handle atvs during this Fall's big game hunts. Well, they've started implementing their new policy:

ALL atvs being ridden on forest service roads must now be properly licensed for ON-ROAD use (correct license plate) with the accompanying safety items (horn and rear-view mirror). Don't try to get by with just the simple "RV" plate --- that won't cut it. Both my friends were in camp when an AZ. G&F officer stopped by and told them if their atvs left camp, they'd both be looking at $150.00 fines (they have the "RV" plates on their quads). They proceeded to cite other guys right after that as they rode by their camp. And they were NOT giving out warnings. You can imagine how that went over ...

Anyway, I'd advise you to call your local forest service office to clarify what you need to legally ride your atv on your hunt this year. Hopefully you can get your equipment needs taken care of before your hunt. I just didn't want any of you guys getting hammered with a fine if it could be avoided!!!

Good luck and shoot straight,

Lv2hnt

That sure was nice of them to publicize this information. Personally I hate ATV's even though I own one. I think most people use them incorrectly. Mine only leaves camp when it's time to recover game. Enough about that and back to the original subject. They should have put this information out months ago. They are making criminals out of unknowing underinformed people. What a crock of SHIT!!

Lv2hunt. I printed out a copy of your post to share with my hunter safety class. Some of the student use ATV's.
Thank's for the heads up.
Paul B.

Well I hope you guys also make a telephone call to your state representatives. If you need help finding who they are and what their tel# 's are let me know and I'll find it for you. This sort of stuff is pitiful, and they need to be told this! Also I think they should also negate any citations issued for obvious reasons. If enough people call you guys CAN change it for the better!

Looks like a license has always been required to drive on roads. no problem there. but a license has never been required on public land that is not a maintained road. much as I have had hunts ruined by ATV's and the lazy slugs that ride them instead of walking and stalking, there is a legal right to do so, and unless a designated roadless area, or road only area, the fishfuzz are again missing the target.

My world order would only allow ATV's before and after legal shootng hours, and within one hour of high noon. otherwise they would be fair game.

I remember my first day hunting in Colorado. Hiked in four miles with a heavy pack, camped at treeline. set up one hour before dawn. got run out by dozen stink machines before the sun was an hour off the horizon. packed up and left and never went back.

ride them before dawn or after sunset only, or to get game out.

Personally, I'd like to see them outlaw the things during the hunting season.

I'm tired of seeing them all over the place, riding up hills and generally making themselves a pain in the butt. I hear lots of people say they only use them to "get game out etc...", but that isn't what I see in the mountains I hunt. It seems that people are too lazy to walk for their game anymore.

Hell, I'm almost 40 years old and I pack deer and elk out every year on a packframe and my own back. These things will end up being one of the items that will eventually cause us to lose our right to hunt.

Imagine what the anti's must think when they see a trailer full of them headed to the mountains with gun racks hanging all over them. They will come to the conclusion that hunters are running the animals down and shooting them off the backs of these machines. And some so called hunters probably are. I know I've seen a lot of people running antelope out on the sagebrush flats with them.

Just my opinion.

Mac

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When hunting and fishing get in the way of your job, it is time to quit the job!

I have to admit that I hate ATVs, especially when they help themselves to "NO VEHICLES" land. But there are two times when I like them.

One is when I'm enjoying riding their trails with my mountain bike. The other is when they're saving my butt by getting my deer out.

I wish they would stay where they belong. My pasture is on a poweerline and every local yahoo thinks he has free access despite the conspicuous POSTED signs. Even had folks come and park on the property to unload and ride their rigs. They've done a lot to make themselves look like slobs everywhere I go. But I expect there to be more and more of them until real enforcement takes place.

Talus

I have an issue with some ATVers, last year on my elk hunt, there were some SOB's DRIVING ELK WITH THEM! Talk about pissed. I tried to find a game warden, but they weren't in the immediate area that morning. It was opening morning, too. I was so mad I could have shot the damn things out from under them. I did tell one of them I was able to stop that I would be reporting them and had their trucks license plate. It didn't even phase the guy. His reaction was he didn't think it was wrong, and actually tried to get confrontational about it. It's amaizing how soothing a Winchester 1886 can be when brought to "port arms". Stopped him dead in his tracks when I told him one more step would "get REAL expensive". I think he understood my point. I am not one for "banning" things, but I don't think I would shed a tear if they (ATV's) were gone.

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one that has had a bad experience with these things.

The one thing I hate more than anything else is those damn two stroke off road motorcylces. On year, I spent three hours getting to the top of a a steep mountain (very very steep)before daylight. Within a half hour, I hear the very irritating rasp of a two stroke bike. How in hell that guy got it up the side of that mountain is beyond me, but he sure spooked every deer in the area.
I have mixed feelings about ATV's. They can be a big help to an elderly hunter in getting to where he wants to hunt. A great help to bring out game one has shot. Both the above to an old fart like me BTW. But to hunt from and shoot from one? Never. I still like to see how close I can sneak up on my intended game, so I would never use an ATV for that use. I guess I don't have to worry about it. I never could afford one anyway. Come to think about it, I don't really want one anyhow.
Paul B.

UPDATE-My friend just got back from his archery bull hunt in 6A. He had scouted for 4 weeks in advance, put up several tree stands over promising areas, and set out opening day with great anticipation...He said the wood were absolutely crawling with guys riding ATV's. Not on the roads, not on designated paths, but out in the open forests. Just cruising and riding around looking for elk. Not going after downed game. He said he had several riders ride directly under his tree stand (while he was in it). ATVers have just made another enemy of my friend. He and I will both be attending the next AZ Game & Fish open meetings and see what we can do to force the issue. We have had enough.

An open statement to ATVers:

If you continue to use them in this manner, or allow others you witness to do so, you will lose the PRIVALEGE of being able to ride them in hunting seasons on public land. If you get even other hunters mad enough at you, there will be enough public demand for banning them. Fellow hunters are your only other defenders in this matter. Don't continue to soil your own sandbox (put nicely!). You will have only yourself to blame if you get your "toys" taken away because you can't play with them responsibly. You had better take steps to police your own while you still can. It's not enough to say full of indignation, "Well I don't ride MINE that way!" You will all be judged the same and effected with the same ban, and you will have only yourselves to blame.

To non ATV owners, sorry for the rant. To ATV owners, the sun is setting on your method of "hunting".

I heard an unsubstantiated story that last year, during big game season over in Western Montana , two ATV's were shot in the motor several times after the drivers had herded some elk, then the drivers parked them to pursue the elk. Interesting thing about this story, which may be a new "urban legend", was that no one cared a darn about the safety of the drivers , instead they applauded this unsafe and criminal act. That says a lot about the relationship between the ATV folks and the common hunter. At least here in MT anyway. They are regarded even lower on the food chain than road hunters!

Frank N.

It's not just western states that have this problem, it's here in northern Michigan deer hunting regions as well. I know guys that use atv's to "hunt" on 80 acre tracks. I think the farthest any of them might have to walk to a blind is 400 yards on level ground. Nothing irks me more than to get quietly out to a blind before daylight, only to have a couple of these ATV's come roaring and splashing by. Some of these things are getting the size of an old Willys Jeep. It apparently annoyed enough folks that tree blinds being used by ATV users were subjected to destruction. I've spoke with the ATV users and they point out they spent thousands on the machine (and trailers)so they want to get their money's worth out of them. Hell, they could have paid for two horseback elk hunts or a trip to Africa with the money they spent on these things. If they get banned from use on public land they brought it on themselves.

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"shoot 'em if you got 'em!"